This invention relates generally to projectiles for inserting a weft yarn in a loom wherein the weft yarn is supplied from supply packages located outside of the loom. The invention is particularly directed to a projectile of the type wherein at least a portion of the weft yarn is stored within a weft storage chamber within the projectile. This type of projectile and the loom for which it is used is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,831,640 to Karl W. Wueger dated Aug. 27, 1974. The projectile disclosed in this U.S. patent is designed for firing from each side of the loom alternately. For this reason there is a storage chamber located at each end of the projectile and means are provided to allow air to pass freely from one end of the projectile to the other. This aids in depositing the weft yarn in the storage chamber.
Under certain operating conditions, projectiles of the design shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,831,640 have had problems in maintaining the weft stored in the weft storage chamber during the flight of the projectile through the shed. For certain lengths of sheds and certain velocities of the projectile, air entering the leading end of the projectile during flight, passes through the projectile and tends to blow the weft yarn stored in the chamber at the trailing end of the projectile out of the projectile. This yarn stored in the projectile is destined eventually to be withdrawn from the projectile as part of the weft inserting operation, but unfortunately the air stream causes the stored weft yarn therein to be blown out prematurely and thereby deposit this stored yarn in a bunch or snarl within the shed. This produces a defective pick and of course defective cloth produced by the loom. Difficulties have also been encountered in loading the projectile. As the filling is deposited into the storage chamber, it tends to settle against the outlet openings of the chamber and block the openings. This reduces the air flow through the projectile and interfers with the depositing of additional filling.